Wild Child
by UnorthodoxDreamer
Summary: The day Harry Potter started a party in a forest clearing on a camping trip with the Dursleys (who had intended to abandon him), his life has changed. Adopted by an ancient tree and all the creatures of the forest, it's a very diffrent Harry that goes to Hogwarts. Gen, for now. K rating may change in the furture.
1. Prologue

Wild Child

Prologue:

We come across this particular spring evening in the company of a small child. This child seemed to dance on the winds as he moved to a complex tune only the child could hear. He offers no sound as he glides over the whispering stalks of green beneath his feet. A gentle humming permeated the air, joining with the whistling leaves and chirping insects in a song of innocence.

The soothing, calm sound that was woven through the air soon attracted birds, who deemed their song worthy to join in the beautiful symphony. Mammals and reptiles, amphibians and mythical creatures all decide to join the child in his beautiful, gliding dance and song. Soon all creatures native to the forest and more had gathered in and around the clearing as the humming got faster and the music got louder. They all skipped and jumped, spun and twirled, and every now and again a happy giggle would penetrate the symphony of forest that surrounded the child. The creatures were happy.

They had found a lost one of their own.

At one point, even a bear had entered the clearing, only to be led across the dance floor by a mischievous pair of foxes. Predator and prey dance and sing to this beautiful, innocent child. A child that they _know_ is one of their own, a human of theirs.

It's the most fun Harry Potter could ever remember having.

And it's over far too soon. As the sun dips below the horizon a filthy stench breaks through the peaceful, forest party air. A terrible beast was ripping through the forest, coming towards their clearing. The sent of pure hatred and danger the beast emitted sent all of the creatures running. They all brush past the small (too small, how had they not noticed earlier?) boy at some point in their escape, those at the back running to him before they fled. They left their mark on the boy as they ran away. They knew he was one of them. He belonged here, and they would have him back.

The last fairy in the clearing kissed his nose good-bye, earring delighted giggle from the child, and then they were gone. The grand party a mere memory, as if it had been a dream. The child returned to a log in the middle of the forest clearing, kicking his legs and waiting. He knew what was to come.

Sure enough, not long after the creatures had all fled, a whale of a man came tumbling into the clearing, stumbling in and cursing at the undergrowth as he went. The man merely grabbed the child's arm in a harsh grip and pulled him along the path the man had beaten into the forest. It was a good thing the whale man never looked back as he went, for the damaged forest behind him healed and grew as the child passed. The child merely smiled at the plants, happy that they were well.

Harry wanted to tell the man. Wanted to tell the man about all the fantastic things in the forest, tell him that he was wrong and be praised for being so smart and so lucky as to see all these things. He wanted to tell the man of the Grand Forest Party, of all the merriment and fun.

But he doesn't. He doesn't tell the man. He knew his uncle hated things like this. Especially when they're things to do with him. Harry knows that if he told his uncle, he'd never be able to return.

Even at five years of age, Harry Potter wasn't stupid.


	2. Chapter 1

**I didn't have anyone beta the last part of this chapter, so I apologize before hand if it's too horrible.**

All the way back from the Dursley's picnic at the forest Harry thought, and he thought hard. The forest party was the most fun he'd ever had, even counting his first day of school. He wondered why so many people denied the existence of so many creatures. The Pixie, certainly, was the nicest dancer there. Even the Tanuki had a wonderful singing voice. But, he wondered why Uncle Vernon had come back for him. Harry was pretty certain that he was meant to be abandoned there. They were always talking about ways to 'be rid of the freak' so why not? But Vernon had come back, and Harry wanted to know why. He knew better than to ask though.

From the way Vernon kept glaring at him, Harry was pretty sure he'd get punished for something he didn't do again. He wondered what happened to them that made them so mean to him. The preacher at church always said that bullies were mean because someone had been mean to them. He wondered who could do so much harm to his relatives that they'd take so much pleasure in hurting him?

But, he couldn't stop thinking about the Grand Forest Party. The clearing itself was a good mile from where the Dursley's had parked their car, so Harry was rather impressed with Vernon for making the trip twice (never mind that he had done the same, after all, he was always running.). He wondered what had attracted the animals to that clearing? Was it him? He was only humming along with the leaves and dancing with the wind once it'd asked. He had just gotten bored. He supposed there was a gold drop in every rain cloud after all.

That wasn't even the strangest part. When he had accepted the wind's offer to dance (it would have been rude not to, anyway.) a gentle buzz had started under his skin, in time with the humming, and very soft. It guided him along with the wind and helped him move so as not to hurt anyone in the clearing. As the buzzing got louder, faster, so did the humming, singing, and dancing. Eventually it had just jumped out of his skin and into the air around a bit before Vernon had shown up. It made sure everyone was safe and that no creature in the clearing got any sort of hurt. It made him feel safe, loved, warm for the fist time since he could remember. He rather liked it. Even when Vernon came to get him, it only slowly seeped back into his body, healing the damage Vernon had done to the forest and clearing the air from the bad things as they got dragged along.

So, Harry pondered these things all the way to the Dursley's. He had long since reached the conclusion that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Pentunia were wrong about magic. It, and all it's creatures, really did exist. But Harry wanted to know more. Wanted to know what this buzz that still tingled under his skin, making him warm and comfortable, was. He wanted to know what all the animals he danced with were called. What were their names? It had been rather rude of him not to ask. Then again, they hadn't asked him either, so he supposed they were even.

As they approched the Dursleys house (Harry would never be a part of their family. It was the Dursleys house, He didn't belong there.) Harry began to get scared. He knew he was going to get beaten again, Uncle Vernon had that look in his eyes. But that wasn't what scared him. What scared him was the fact that Aunt Petunia looked scared this time. usually, she just had a cool gleam in her eye. "This is what you deserve." it'd say. But once, when Unlce Vernon had been drunk, she'd had that smae look. Like she was afriad Uncle Vernon would go to far. She had been right to be worried, that'd be his worst ever beating and he'd almost died. Harry knew this would be similar, if not worse. After all, Uncle Vernon was sober this time.

As soon as Dudley was up in his room, Uncle Vernon atacked. He turned around from his spot by the stairs, and hit Harry, who was just behind him. When Harry regained his balance Uncle Vernon Punched him hard in the face. Harry fell over and winced as Vernon's foot connected with his side. He curled into a ball, trying to protect himself, as Vernon rained harder and more painful blows down on him.

Still, Harry made not a sound.

When Vernon grew tired, he threw Harry into the the cupboard, where he painfully pulled himself onto the thin cot he called a bed. Harry lay there for a while, letting his thoguhts distract him frrom the seering pain he felt all over.

He thoguht about the Grand Forest Party, and relived it in the dank darckness of his cupboard. He saw the graceful flight of the birds and fairies, the beautiful shades of fur that the animals brought with them. He heard the singing of the Tanuki, the dancing of the Pixie. He danced with the wind and felt snakes wind around his feet. He talked with , who became good friends of the Fox Twins, and laughed with as she mooned over . He felt the awe of watching the Phoenix fly, and the wonder at how warm and loved he felt, in that little clearing. He wondered if he should sneak out and run off, go to the forest and never look back. It'd make both the Dursleys and he very happy.

As he drifted off to sleep, he neve noticed the soft green glow that spread out from his skin. It healed damage done by that horrible human called Vernon, before a brighter, white, light took over. With a bright flash and a happy sigh, Harry Potter was never to be seen at the Dursleys again.


End file.
